High Point earns victory on emotional night

Eagles soar past Bladensburg shortly after death of their coach's brother

It wasn't just any game for the High Point High School boys' basketball team.

High Point coach Ronald Moore received word a short time before Tuesday night's contest against Bladensburg that his brother, Andre Moore, had passed away. Despite his visible grief, the coach wasn't about to take a night off.

"My brother wouldn't have stood for it," Moore said. "I was talking to him yesterday at the hospital, and he was worrying about our game that night against Laurel. He cared a lot about these guys and about this team."

The Eagles answered the challenge and stepped up for their coach, taking down Bladensburg, 78-59, in a dominating performance in Beltsville.

"I got a good bunch of kids who work hard and only want to succeed," Moore said. "They did everything I told them to do. We executed better than we have all season."

High Point (7-6, 5-4) seized control of the County 4A League matchup early, taking a 16-7 lead in the first quarter. And the Eagles kept squeezing Bladensburg the rest of the night. The Mustangs were hit with several traveling violations and turned the ball over frequently. By the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, the Eagles' starters were resting comfortably on the bench.

High Point's top scorers were the Baker brothers: Senior Corey had a team-high 16 points while junior Travis added 13. Senior Jerald Williams led the Mustangs with 18 points, while Greg Reed-Lafortune scored 15.

Every player on the High Point roster scored, including 12th man Joel Musa, a fan favorite who incited a wild celebration and cheering from the home crowd when he made a free throw in the fourth quarter, his only point of the game.

Bladensburg (8-7, 7-4) had previously come back to beat High Point in a December matchup. But on Tuesday, the Eagles' interior, led by seniors Jeff Ojiribe and Kevin Martin, hit the boards hard – rebounding well defensively as well as finishing second-chance opportunities.

Unexpected contributions also gave the Eagles a boost. In a 3-minute stretch during the third quarter, reserve Charles Ajayi scored seven points in a row in dominating fashion: He grabbed a rebound between three Mustangs to score a putback for his only points of the game.

"We just did all the little things it takes to win," Travis Baker said. "We were breaking the press, taking care of the ball, rebounding well and challenging shots. The little things help you win if you just keep on working."

Bladensburg coach James Butler agreed certain habits help teams win – his team just didn't do any of them on Tuesday.

"They just beat us. They were better than us," Butler said. "Our focus wasn't there, our transition defense was very poor, we couldn't stop penetration. I don't know what happened, but we didn't play as a team. That's what we're going to work on."

After the game, Moore was embracing his players and fellow coaches in the locker room, thanking them for their support with teary eyes.

"I'm an emotional person and these guys know how I feel about my family. I treat them like family," he said. "They had my back tonight. I'm blessed to have such a great group."